Bittersweet....

This morning was bittersweet as I sent my big girl off to 4th grade. Where did the time go?? I started to get a little weepy as we entered the part of the school for older grades and found her locker. Then a couple of other Moms I've known for a long time reminisced with me about how it seems like yesterday our kids were little pre-schoolers. I found this cute photo of Autumn's first day of Kindergarten just days after her brother came home from the NICU. Not only has she grown physically in 4 years, but she is also far more accepting of people who are different or have disabilities than most of her peers. God certainly knew what he was doing when he chose her to go on this very difficult, but rewarding journey. That school year was such a blur. I remember just trying to hold it all together around her, the parents and teachers. (Who am I kidding, I still do that!) Thank goodness she was able to go to full day kindergarten so that I could focus on all of the appointments Isaac had in the months ahead (not to mention several hospital admits). We were very blessed that she was able to attend a school close by at the time. When Isaac was hooked up to oxygen and an apnea monitor 24/7, the teacher would walk her home.

Another bittersweet moment was last night when we had to say goodbye to my Grandparents who traveled by car all the way from California to see us. They couldn't wait to get some sugar from that sweet boy. It was bittersweet because we had not seen them in 2 years and it could be a long time before we see them again. We enjoyed our time with them and got some really good photos.

Slowing Down

It seems that lately I've been slowing down a little on the blog posts and posting more updates on Isaac's Facebook page. Although I will still be posting on this blog, it just may not be as often.

If you would like to be Isaac's friend on fb you can click here. **Please note that I will be very selective for privacy purposes so if I don't recognize your name from the blog world (blog friends) or as a friend/family member then I may not be able to add you to the friend list. :)

--Colleen

Finding A Balance

Summer is coming to a end soon and we have been trying to make it fun and memorable for big sister. This life with a medically fragile child and a healthy sibling is hard. Finding a balance and meeting both of their needs isn't easy at times. Trying to meet Isaac's medical needs, therapies etc. AND making sure Autumn has some normalcy in her life is a team effort. I'm so grateful for Sam and his ability to do things with her that I can't easily pick up and do with the boy (especially with the trach.) Last weekend they went camping and spent the entire day at the water park. Yesterday we took her and a friend on my Dad's boat and she had a blast!Then there's my little homebody. Sure he enjoys outings and we have made more of an effort to take him places now that he doesn't always need the 02. He's the happiest little boy when he has his home routine (bath, stroller ride, same movie everyday). If his routine is off he gets easily stressed. If we take him to a place with loud noises or too much stimulation he's ready to go home after a short while and back to his familiar environment. One funny routine we started with him in the evening is snuggle time with "Little House On The Prairie." He gets excited when the song comes on and Autumn loves snuggling up with her little brother. They are so cute together!

Whew!

Today I had our annual a meeting with DDD to determine if Isaac still qualifies for his current home nursing hours. After answering a zillion questions, they decided to keep him where he's at. Even though he's more stable than he used to be, he still needs lots of care, meds and monitoring. He was such a little turkey while they were here and was showing off his rolling skills. He also started laughing so hard around them and doing a little jig to row, row, the boat. Such a silly man!

Now that that's over with, I'm treating myself to a DQ blizzard for a good cause. With each blizzard they will donate money to the Children's Miracle Network to help our local hospital. Don't forget to buy yours today! I was also thinking yesterday about how we could help our local Children's hospital more. After all, Isaac spent most of his first year of life there. I'm looking into getting Autumn involved in helping me purchase toys for them so that the kids can enjoy their stay more. I recently downloaded a wish list so this should be fun.

Isaac is still his happy self, but he caught a mild cold from me so he's been sporting the 02 during the day and night. I'm really starting to look forward to school starting and getting back into a routine. Autumn is getting very bored! I told her Dad to take her camping this weekend so that they can go have fun together. She wants to go to the pool everyday, but that's not easy to do with the boy. Sigh. We did have a nice time last weekend at my Grandmother's house. My cousins came up from California and Washington DC to visit. It's so strange to see them all grown up! Can you believe my Grandmother just turned 87 years old? I can only dream of looking this good at her age! My beautiful Daughter and Grandmother....

A Little Adventure

Last week our morning day nurse was on vacation. Instead of sitting around the house all day, we decided to take Isaac downtown. After packing the go bag, suction machine, oximeter and wheelchair stroller, we were off on our little adventure. The river was beautiful!
Big sister was very helpful. She wanted to push the stroller the whole time. My Mom knows how to make me smile real big!
Chillin' out in the sun after tasting Autumn's peach flavored snow cone. Isaac got a summer makeover over the weekend. Here are the before and after photos.

Before:After:
What do you think? I miss the curls, but I think he looks handsome in shorter hair.